Lesson plan
Bones Ely
William Frederick "Bones" Ely (June 7, 1863 – January 10, 1952) was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball. He was born in North Girard, Pennsylvania. Ely was the starting shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates for several seasons before Honus Wagner. Immediately before his release during the 1901 season, an article in The Buffalo Enquirer described the only thing standing between Wagner and Pittsburgh's shortstop job was "Bones Ely, who has gone back faster than an incline car that has slipped a cable. Ely cannot hit a balloon and his fielding is passe." During the 1904 season, Bones Ely along with his brother Ben Ely purchased the Portland Browns of the Pacific Coast League. Bones Ely managed 33 games that season before resigning his position on May 16. The Ely brothers sold their shares of the team to Walter McCredie and William Wallace McCredie before the end of the season. Ely died at the age of 88 in Imola, California. His remains were cremated.
Article summary
William Frederick "Bones" Ely (June 7, 1863 – January 10, 1952) was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball. He was born in North Girard, Pennsylvania. Ely was the starting shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates for several seasons before Honus Wagner. Immediately before his release during the 1901 season, an article in The Buffalo Enquirer described the only thing standing between Wagner and Pittsburgh's shortstop job was "Bones Ely, who has gone back faster than an incline car that has slipped a cable. Ely cannot hit a balloon and his fielding is passe." During the 1904 season, Bones Ely along with his brother Ben Ely purchased the Portland Browns of the Pacific Coast League. Bones Ely managed 33 games that season before resigning his position on May 16. The Ely brothers sold their shares of the team to Walter McCredie and William Wallace McCredie before the end of the season. Ely died at the age of 88 in Imola, California. His remains were cremated.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.